2013/14 Annual Plan
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-+ Ashburton District Council \Annual Plan 2013/14 Photo Credits Front Cover: Grow Mid Canterbury, Winslow Contracting and Ashburton Online Back Cover: Ashburton Online, Ashburton Guardian and Experience Mid Canterbury Table of Contents Welcome to the 2013/14 Annual Plan ................................................................................... 5 Your Council ......................................................................................................................... 6 Methven Community Board................................................................................................... 7 Listening to Our Community ................................................................................................. 8 Council’s Planning Process .................................................................................................. 9 Community Outcomes ........................................................................................................ 11 Key Issues & Projects for 2013/14 ...................................................................................... 12 Overall Rate Summary 2013/14 .......................................................................................... 14 Funding of Council Activities ............................................................................................... 15 Transportation .................................................................................................................... 17 Drinking Water .................................................................................................................... 23 Wastewater ......................................................................................................................... 27 Stormwater ......................................................................................................................... 31 Refuse and Recycling ......................................................................................................... 36 Recreation and Leisure ....................................................................................................... 40 Community Facilities and Support ...................................................................................... 47 Economic Development ...................................................................................................... 53 Parks and Open Space ....................................................................................................... 59 Democracy and Governance .............................................................................................. 65 Regulatory Services ............................................................................................................ 69 Miscellaneous ..................................................................................................................... 75 Prospective Financial Statements ....................................................................................... 78 Statement of Accounting Policies ........................................................................................ 85 Reserve Funds ................................................................................................................. 102 Funding Impact Statements .............................................................................................. 104 Rating Policy and Schedule of Rates ................................................................................ 119 Fees and Charges Schedule 2013/14 ............................................................................... 128 P a g e 3 P a g e 4 Welcome to the 2013/14 Annual Plan A Year of Transformation The coming year will see the Ashburton District take a major step forward and, we believe, see us come of age as a centre of excellence and growth in the Canterbury region and wider New Zealand. Two significant and exciting community projects are coming to fruition; the Ashburton Art Gallery and Heritage Centre will be completed in the coming year and construction will begin on the EA Networks Centre indoor pool and stadium. Angus McKay Brian Lester Mayor Chief Executive These are both once-in-a-generation projects that will provide our current and future residents with opportunities to enjoy a lifestyle that is the envy of most and that we hope will help build a desire for achievement and aspiration, particularly in our younger generation. Such facilities, along with health and education, are not only expected from our current community, but also essential to attract and retain a much needed skilled workforce. The continuation of other key projects, such as the Ashburton Business Estate and land designation for the second urban Ashburton River bridge reflect Council looking forward to our district’s future needs, making sure that our growing population has what it needs to function successfully. Cost-effective Services Of course progress needs to be affordable for our residents and Council must ensure it provides cost effective services to the community we serve. The overall rates requirement will increase by 5.7% in the coming year, a significant decrease from the 7.4% rate increase forecast for the 2013/14 year in in the Long Term Plan 2012-22. This has been achieved through a combination of cost efficiencies and changes in the timeline of some of our major projects. Changes to the Local Government Act 2002 in the last year, encourage councils to ensure they provide the best possible service and value to their ratepayers. This is an ethos this Council has always sought to make its decisions by and the work programme and budget detailed in this Annual Plan reflect that approach. We will continue to prioritise providing good quality infrastructure and services for our community that are appropriate, efficient and cost-effective. Importance of Our Water Resources As we prepare our Annual Plan we cannot ignore the plight much of New Zealand has just been through. Being a district that is dependent on weather for our livelihood our thoughts go out to those in other parts of the country being so badly affected. The drought has brought into sharp focus the importance of water to this district and the investment that has been made in the past, and that will be needed in the future, to ensure our farms have the water needed to grow crops and to be resilient against the variable forces of nature. The Council is continuing to look at ways to utilise our water resources more efficiently, with investment in the coming year into looking at how we deliver our stockwater services. We have a stockwater network and service that has served our district well for around 150 years but that may not be right for the 21st century. The work Council will do over the coming year will help us develop a blueprint for the future that best meets our economic and environmental needs. Council Elections 2013 This year also brings local government elections, with a new Council taking over the reins for the rest of this financial year in October 2013. Local democracy is fundamental to building communities that work for the people that live in them. We encourage all residents to take advantage of the opportunity to participate in the local elections this October. In conclusion, the Council will soon have a new chief executive to lead the organisation over at least the next five years. As Mayor, I would like to publically thank Brian Lester on behalf of current and past elected members for the way he has led the Council over the previous 12 years. This time has coincided with a period of growth that very few rural areas of New Zealand can rival and has been a period of growth and change for Ashburton District Council. We all wish Brian and his family all the best for their future. P a g e 5 Your Council Mayor Deputy Mayor Angus McKay Cr Darryl Nelson Ph. 302 8660 Ph. 307 0500 [email protected] [email protected] Ashburton Ward Jim Burgess Donna Favel Robin Kilworth Ph. 308 7223 Ph. 307 1230 Ph. 308 6180 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] John Leadley Don McLeod Jac Sparks Ph. 307 8816 Ph. 308 8220 Ph. 021 2211011 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Eastern Ward Neil Brown Ken Cutforth Stuart Wilson Ph. 302 4735 Ph. 302 7546 Ph. 303 7177 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Western Ward Martin Nordqvist Alan Totty Ph. 302 8717 Ph. 303 0708 [email protected] [email protected] P a g e 6 Methven Community Board Chairperson Deputy Chairperson Liz McMillan Hamish Gilpin Ph. 302 8081 Ph. 302 9343 [email protected] [email protected] Anna Johnson David Wilson Ph. 302 9628 Ph. 021 874 588 [email protected] [email protected] Dan McLaughlin Ph. 302 8966 [email protected] P a g e 7 Listening to Our Community Engaging our Community While much of Council’s planned levels of services and expenditure for the coming year had been indicated in the Ashburton District Long Term Plan 2012-22, the draft Annual Plan 2013/14 updated that information and enabled the community to provide feedback through the submission process. Council sought community views on proposed services and expenditure levels for 2013/14 during a four week consultation period that began on 8 April 2013. Six community meetings were held around the district to inform residents of the proposed work programme and budget and to enable the community to ask questions of Council staff and